Over the years, home networks have grown in size and complexity. Today, there are typically multiple devices within the same home that are capable of playing/displaying the same type of content (e.g., one can watch an online video either on the computer, on an iPhone or on the TV, one can listen to music either on the computer, an iPhone or on a dedicated internet-radio box). Each of these devices is capable of downloading content from the Internet and playing it, often through a home Wi-Fi network. The content may also be played from in-home devices (e.g., a DLNA media-player or an MP3 repository).
Generally, when a device such as a personal computer, tablet, smart phone (e.g. iPhone), etc. plays or displays content, the content is downloaded from the Internet onto that specific device in cases where the content is not stored locally on a storage medium. For example, an individual wanting to watch a particular video clip on the YouTube® website four times will typically have to download/stream the video from the YouTube® website four times if the individual wishes to watch the video clip on four different devices.
From an end-customer point of view, as service providers incorporate limits or caps on bandwidth utilization associated with network services, customers are becoming increasingly cautious regarding the amount of bandwidth consumed. Therefore, the need to re-download content from the Internet is becoming an increasing problem. Furthermore, from the perspective of service providers, the reduction in redundant network traffic (which currently occurs when the same content is downloaded by different in-home devices) is also desirable.
From a service provider view, there is an attempt move away from an all-you-can-eat service model toward a cost-per-downloaded-byte model. Additionally, there is an attempt to discourage redundant network traffic. From a service provider perspective, both can be accomplished by incorporating a monthly ceiling on data downloads, whereby the consumer experiences reduced download speeds or is unable to download any additional content altogether when a ceiling is reached. In such cases, downloading the same content/file multiple times means that the user's monthly quota is depleted unnecessarily Furthermore, the fact that the same content/file is being re-downloaded means that network bandwidth is being consumed in order to carry the same content multiple times, thereby unnecessarily increasing network loading and congestion, which service providers seek to avoid.
Accordingly, there is a need for techniques to reduce network bandwidth associated with redundant network access of data.